There are quite a few EXCELLENT observations in that article Lindy.. Thanks for posting!!
Arab nationalism has run its course. The hopes inspired by Gamaliel Abdel Nasser in and after the 1950s, those inspired by the Baathists in Iraq and Syria and by the Palestinian Liberation Organization have come to naught. Opportunistic young men on the make may attempt to sidle up to those in power in Syria, Egypt, Libya, and the West Bank, but these regimes attract no young idealists. Even in Turkey, secular nationalism seems to be on its last legs, and the only politicians who inspire enthusiasm are those who say, "Islam is the answer."
This is what I'm seeing as well. The corruption inherent in most of these Arab/Muslim regimes, as well as the genuine lack of economic and social progress, is feeding the Islamist agenda. There is such a lack of accountability within these societies they are looking towards the only "moral foundation" they can find, religious leadership.
What this will mean down the road is a subject that inspires a great deal of rumination in Israel these days. It can easily be foreseen that Islam will not provide a suitable answer to the political, social, and economic crises that grip the Arab world, but it will take another cycle of history for that to become adequately evident to a people now disillusioned with secular nationalism.
"Forever War" is what is means. Islamists cannot conclude peace treaties with un-believers, only "truces". And their agenda does not involve defending the national boundaries, but expanding and unifying them into a restored Caliphate that precedes the forcible conquest of the "infidel west".
All we have to do is listen to what they are telling their own people in their own words:
youtube.com
youtube.com
youtube.com
And here's what Hamas is telling their children, the next wave of "Holy Warriors":
Message 26212392
If there is an alternative to Islamic revivalism on the horizon, it is to be found in Iraq. The simple fact that there are free elections in that country, that there is open debate, and that it is drifting in the direction of genuine prosperity -- this stirs dissatisfaction of an entirely different sort in the Arab world -- and, as is abundantly evident in Iran, it does so in the larger Muslim world as well.
THIS is why it's so important to be involved in these regions. We MUST attempt to unleash and bring about democratic change to Islamic countries as it's the only means by which people will be able to hold their leaders accountable for bettering their lives.
I don't think I've ever visited a country where the people didn't want to have some say in how they are governed and who represents their interests.
It's really the only "arrow" we have left in our quiver for neutralizing this increasing trend towards support of Muslim Militancy.
And what I ultimately fear is that Muslim Militancy will create Christian and Jewish (or even Hindi) militancy and we see an inevitable and massive conflagration.
Hawk |
